


Out of the Water

by raikaya (rqyh)



Series: Seasons: The Four Briwoon AUs [2]
Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Fantasy Elements (tho it's actually not the main focus), Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, Living by the Sea, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Set in summer, That Old-Timey Aesthetic™, That Sea Aesthetic™, how am i suppose to tag this without spoiling the rest of the story, mermaid au, quickly falling in love, until it's not, ye i really cant tag this without spoiling everything
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-04 19:29:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18350207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rqyh/pseuds/raikaya
Summary: Dowoon has always been curious of the world above and beyond him, that world being such an object of wonder that he just cannot bear to not see.  But although he is much too curious for his own good, he isn't stupid enough to go out of the water where any man could see him, and there is one part of him that just doesn’t wantanyoneto see.The world above and beyond would always be something out of reach, something to be observed from afar. And he was only set to be satisfied with it, satisfied with floating in the sea, never to be a part of a world that couldn’t have him.Until one day, it sought to, and it was then that Dowoon’s world would change forever.





	Out of the Water

**Author's Note:**

> **Result of the poll: fourth place!**

On the surface, at a distance away from the shore, is Dowoon’s favorite place to be, a home away from home, a place where he feels truly free.

   From where he swims afloat with his chin still peeking into the water, he can see the blue sea above him spread out vast and wide, its own version of sea foam gliding across its waters, sometimes white, sometimes gray. A family of seagulls flies through the air as if swimming just above the sea of the sky, speaking in a language he doesn’t understand. They land on top of the tower of dark, gray rocks—just a short distance from where Dowoon is situated—and settle on top of it, as they always do, treating it as a temporary home.

   Trailing his eyes down the path of the gray tower he finds himself staring at the line of green and brown statues in the far, far distance, brown arms stretching up to their green, pompous hair, swaying with the wind that dances through its locks. Dowoon isn’t sure what those statues are called, as he has never seen them before, but he likes to look at them—likes to look at everything he sees here, up in the surface.

   From the statues he trails a path down a dirt road stretching to wherever Dowoon can no longer see, to the yellow sands of the beach, to the cottage situated in it, to the shore dividing the Earth and the Sea, to the blue of the water he’s in, and finally, to him. 

            It’s fascinating, really. Fascinating as it dangerous. Though, perhaps that could be the reason why Dowoon loves being here so much. The more someone tells you not to do something, the more you want to do it, and right now, Dowoon doesn’t want to do anything except swim afloat here, at a distance from the shore, looking at the world he can never be a part of. It’s liberating, it’s freeing, and Dowoon loves to be free more than anyone.

            The first time Dowoon came across this place, he had been so shocked to see so many unfamiliar things that he immediately went back down into the water and swam back into the depths, too frightened to want to do anything with it. Not to mention all the stories of creatures called humans, who hunt their kind for riches and fame. The world above and beyond him was a dangerous place filled with dangerous tales and beings, and if things were different, perhaps Dowoon would never have gone back up.

            But things weren’t different, and Dowoon did go back up, because he was just too curious for his own good.

            Everything about the world above and beyond him was just so fascinating and wonderful. It amazed him to no end just how much it could surprise him—as if the world above and beyond was always changing, always moving, as if it just couldn’t sit still when there was just much to be done.

            He fell in love with the sea above him and the sea foam that turns gray when it cries. He fell in love with the seagulls and the tower of rocks they stand on and he loves it even when they say goodbye. He fell in love with the green and brown statues in the distance and fell in love with the yellow sand and fell in love with the cottage that had always been there near the water, standing, sitting—as if Dowoon could just walk right in as if he knew how to walk. He fell in love with it—all of it, all the sights, all the smells, all the sounds.

            Ocean air mixed with something smelling sweet. Waves crashing against each other as laughter sounds in the distance. Warmth spreading across his face though the rest of his body is wet. And a curtain swishing open to make Dowoon realize it’s time to go back into the sea.

            Dowoon is not an idiot. Dowoon knows that despite the amazing things he’s seen and smelled and heard, there are other things that he’s yet to see, smell, and hear. He knows that stories that people tell will always have truth woven into them and knows that it’s better to trust a lie that keeps you safe than a truth that brings you danger. And though he is too curious for his own good, he is not reckless. And a million seagulls could never make him fly to the world above and beyond him, not even if he tried.

            It’s why he’s swimming afloat in the waves of the ocean instead of sitting on the rocks, which would give a better view of the world around him. No matter how much more he wants to see, there’s one part of him that he doesn’t want any human to see, and he can’t risk the life he already has for a life he never will.

            And so, he stays here, a few meters away from the shoreline, gazing upon the wonders of everything around him. He is an onlooker, a gazer, an observer, and those he shall be always, forever, until the end. He will love this world, the world above and beyond him, never to be a part of it, whatsoever.

            And yet, fate seems to always serve to contradict what the beings of the Earth and Sea want to be or happen. No matter what you want or think should be, fate always leads you to a different direction, as if toying with you, playing with you—making you wonder if there really is any point to planning anything when things can change so, so easily.

            For at that moment, a human walks out of the cottage by the shoreline, no curtain drawn to tell Dowoon it’s time to go back under the water, and spots him, spots him with eyes turning wide, and it’s then that Dowoon realizes just how sly fate can be.

            Dowoon finds himself freezing up, staring at the human with wide eyes. He can’t move. He can’t think. He is a statue, unmoving, rigid, and solid. And it’s when the man yells out something inaudible that Dowoon snaps out of it and plunges himself into the water in a clumsy haste, hiding before the human can spot anything more than his face.

            He stays under the water for a few minutes, just a few meters below the water line, trying to overcome his shock. He can feel his heart bang a million fists against the inside of his chest, eyes fleeting around him for anything that could distract him from what just happened: blue water, bluer water, some seaweed floating around, a darker shade of water, the hill of sand and rock leading to the world above, and water. There isn’t much.

            It’s silent for a few minutes, except for the muffled crashing of the waves above him. He keeps under the surface for a few more, wondering if the human had finally gone back to his cottage—no, he definitely did. No human in their right mind would dare come into the depths with the waves so strong and angry like this, not even for the chance to see a creature like him.

            He finds his heart calm as a still sea and turns to swim away from the shore. It would probably be best to return home early today, lest he worry his—

            _SPLASH!_

            Dowoon whips his head to find something piercing through the surface of the ocean and coming towards him, fast.

            Dowoon feels a frost rapidly spread across his body, freezing him once more in his tracks. The figure comes closer, comes faster, and— _Dowoon, you idiot—move NOW!_

            Dowoon finally snaps out of it and turns to swim away as fast as he can—

            But something grabs hold of him before he could even move his body.

            Dowoon turns back in shock to see a pair of dark brown eyes staring back at him wide, hand wrapped around his wrist like his life depended on it.

            For a moment, they just stare at each other, Dowoon afloat in the middle of turning away and the human—the man—nearer to the surface above him, positioned as if he were reaching out to him in mid-air, flying, floating, in the sea above and beyond his world.

            It’s a still moment, a quiet moment, as if time stopped just then to keep the seconds going for much, much longer.

            Then, the man’s eyes glance down to find a single, teal blue tail where a pair of legs should be.

            The man opens his mouth in shock, his yell coming out in a flurry of bubbles, and he releases his grip on Dowoon’s wrist, suddenly writhing in pain.

            Dowoon watches in frozen shock at how this man suddenly has both his hands clutched to his neck, eyes shut close in agony, looking like nothing else in the world could ever hurt him more than this. And it’s at this moment that Dowoon remembers something he’d heard once or twice before.

            Humans can’t breathe underwater. Despite being ancestors to all merfolk, they just can’t. If the man stays here for too long—if he can’t get to the surface—

            He’ll die.

            Dowoon moves before he knows it.

            It was a split-second decision, and perhaps a stupid and impulsive one, but Dowoon rushes to push the man out of the water, kicking with as much power his tail can offer. He lets the man drape his arms over his shoulder, making sure they stay there so Dowoon won’t lose him, and swims as fast as he can to the shore, desperate to get him fresh air.

            At one last burst, the both of them finally pierce out of the water and the smell of the ocean reaches Dowoon’s nose, the sight of the world above and beyond closer than ever—but he has no time to sightsee. He moves forward and gets the man to the beach, laying him down on the sand, his feet and the tip of Dowoon’s tail just barely grazing the water.

            Dowoon rushes to check on the man, panicking for a few moments. He doesn’t know what to do, doesn’t know what one must check to see if a human survived drowning underwater—

            But then the man starts coughing and hacking awfully, and he turns on his side and starts coughing even harder, spewing sea water out of his mouth.

            When he turns to lay back down on the sand, Dowoon instinctively places a hand on the man’s cheek, feeling himself panic even more—wondering if he’s okay, wondering if humans normally spit out water like that, or if that just meant everything was getting worse.

            Dowoon is about to do the merfolk way of checking if someone is alive when the man weakly opens his eyes, slowly, half-lidded, as if that’s all he’s able to do.

            His eyes meet Dowoon’s and he swears he sees the ghost of a smile on his face.

            “Y-you’re safe…” he whispers, reaching out a weak hand to caress the one on his cheek. “Thank… god…”

            The man closes his eyes, and then falls into a deep sleep, his chest rising and falling like the tides, regular and alive.

            Dowoon releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding, speechless at what the man said.

            Safe? How would this man think he was anything _but_ safe? The merfolk have been living in the oceans for thousands of years; the sea is the only place they can _guarantee_ to be safe. Why on Earth would this man, after spotting a merman in the sea, ever think he was in any sort of danger, unless…

            Dowoon looks down at the man once more, letting the thought settle in his mind.

            Yes, he wouldn’t have done any of that. A man in his right mind wouldn’t come after a merman in his own domain. And a man in his right mind wouldn’t ever think to come into sea with the waves so strong and angry.

            Unless he thought he was a human. A human who drowned the moment he plunged his head underwater, in a clumsy, foolish haste.

            The waves of the sea pass over the two of them, wetting the man’s feet and Dowoon’s tail, as if to leave a fleeting kiss before leaving to come back again.

            Slowly, Dowoon brings himself closer to the man and runs a finger down his face, trailing a path from his temple to his jawline, taking care to only keep it light, not wanting to wake him up from his dream. Looking at him now, this close, Dowoon can see the dots lining his sun-kissed skin, the sharpness of his closed eyes, the pointedness of his nose, and how his light, almost-white hair goes over his eyes. Dowoon gently pushes the locks away, keeping them at the side, feeling himself getting more and more mesmerized by him, the seconds passing by like years.

            A human diving into the ocean to save a merman from drowning… How funny. How foolish.

            But Dowoon finds a tiny smile lift the corners of his lips, bit by bit. He feels an entirely new feeling, something he’s never felt before, grab hold of his heart and squeeze it tight as if he’s having trouble breathing—but he finds that he likes it. He finds that he likes this. And he finds that he loves this man, for the foolish action he took, for the kindness behind a fool. Finds that he loves him and wants to stay lying next to him like this, just like this, and wait for when he will wake up, wanting to see the exact shade of those brown eyes once again.

            But Dowoon knows it’s impossible. He is a merman, and this man is a human. No matter how much Dowoon yearns for it, no matter how much he wants to stay, he knows he has to leave, and he knows yearning for something impossible is the same as getting something you love taken away from you.

            No, it just can’t be. _They_ just can’t be. No matter what Dowoon thinks. No matter what he wants, there is no way for the two of them to ever be together.

            Wait. No. There is. There is a way for the two of them to be together.

            Dowoon just needs to find it.

            Dowoon leans down to place a fleeting kiss on the man’s forehead and swims back to the sea, leaving him on the beach, alone.

            But not for long.

 

Younghyun groggily wakes up with closed eyes to an impossibly excruciating pain all over his body, sore from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. He must be sick, or something, though he can’t think of why that could be. What registers in his mind after is how unusually bright the sun is behind his eyelids, how blinding. He must have forgotten to draw the curtains closed last night, though that doesn’t explain why water is tickling his toes and how there’s something sand-like in his shirt—

            Hang on—sand? Water? Sun? Water? _Water_?

            Younghyun immediately jumps up from where he lay on the sand, staring with wide eyes at the vast ocean in front of him, its waves stronger than usual.

            He takes a few steps back. _God, that was close_ , he thinks.

            Suddenly, a pang of pain comes from the back of his head and Younghyun almost doubles over, feeling his throat dryer than the baker’s sense of humor, tongue tasting a bit of sea salt. Did he swallow in ocean water? How did he even end up on the shore?

            He tries to wrack his brain for any memories, but all he’s coming up with is the remnants of a very strange dream. It had been every shade of blue, the feeling of wanting to reach out for something in front of him so strong—and nothing else.

            Wait. No. There was something else. A face. Of a young man he’s never seen before.

            His hair was short and dark, like the feathers of a raven cut short, and his skin was as pale as snow, or a sheet of paper, or the clouds above him when it didn’t rain. And his eyes—

            He had the most beautiful pair of black eyes he’s ever seen.

            He was staring at Younghyun with his eyes wide, as if Younghyun had done or said something that was so preposterous, so shocking, that he couldn’t take his eyes off him for one second, not even if he wanted to.

            Younghyun isn’t sure why the image of that young man is so clear in his mind, as if he were a memory rather than a dream. He’s fairly certain he’s never met or seen anyone like him before, because if he did, Younghyun would surely remember.

            Younghyun just shakes his head, feeling like a lunatic with the way he was just staring at the distance, eyes probably looking blank. He turns away and focuses on getting home to change his clothes and get away from the sea as soon as possible, deeming it all as just one odd day.

            Still, as days pass by, the thought of that man never leaves his mind, even though he’s never once reappeared in any of the dreams he’s had. He wonders what kind of person he must be—how he speaks, how he smiles, what his personality must be. Wonders how it would be like if he existed, and if he existed somewhere close to Younghyun.

            It’s a thought that consumes him, leaving him to daydream about a man he will probably never meet, for hours, and hours, and hours, endlessly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everybody! So, this is my second fic under my "Seasons" project (informally dubbed as "The Four Briwoon AUs", courtesy of me on Twitter). It is a series consisting of four different and unconnected Briwoon AUs that each represent and is set in a certain season. This one, entitled, "Out of the Water" is a Mermaid AU with only a pinch of Fantasy Elements sprinkled onto it, representing our second season, Summer! (Congratulations to [@yoondowoonism](https://twitter.com/yoondowoonism) for getting it right during our [guessing game on Twitter](https://twitter.com/raikayyylmao/status/1113400352122953728)!) 
> 
> The idea for Seasons basically is that after posting all of the first chapters of all four AUs at once, readers can decide which AU they want to be finished _and_ posted first and [after a one-month voting period](https://twitter.com/raikayyylmao/status/1126094484519829504), the results showed that "Out of the Water" would be the **fourth** fic to be finished!
> 
> During the waiting period, I will still continue to post WSLY chapter updates, as well as some scattered fics so that it wouldn't be that too difficult of a wait ^^. As I continue to write the fic, it is possible that things from the original chapter posted could change, but rest assured that the main elements of the story are fixed and would only have minor changes, if ever. 
> 
> Each story under Seasons is a chaptered fic with a progressive plot, which is a complete divergence from my usual one-shots and episodic chapters. I wanted to be able to challenge myself to come up with more unique AUs and interesting plots and character dynamics so that I could better improve on my writing skills, as well as provide more varying content for the readers and basically the fandom as a whole! I'm always striving to get better at everything I do, and although I know I've still got a long way to go before I can _really_ call my works excellent, I hope that at the very least, you, as the reader, are able to learn something, make yourself think or reflect, and/or smile because of some of the things I've written. After all, that is my ultimate goal when it comes to these things ^^.
> 
> "Seasons" is a project I've been wanting to do for a long time now, and I hope that by the time it's finished, I've had provided and made stories that were worth the wait.
> 
> Thank you for reading this little thing of mine, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
> 
> twitter: [@raikayyylmao](https://twitter.com/raikayyylmao)  
> curiouscat: [@raikayyylmao](https://curiouscat.me/raikayyylmao)  
> hellopoetry: [@ruqiruqi](https://hellopoetry.com/ruqiruqi/)


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